Anchorage’s Tracen Knopp during the iconic JFK 50 Mile race in Maryland. Photo by Mike McMonagle
At the 62nd running of the JFK 50, Tracen Knopp blitzed a time on Saturday that would have won 56 of the previous editions of the iconic Maryland race.
In fact, the Anchorage runner’s mark of 5 hours, 31 minutes and 15 seconds — a pace of 6:36 per mile on the 50-mile trail/road hybrid course — would have set a course record until 2016.
But this is the most competitive era of ultrarunning the country has ever seen, and Knopp’s efforts landed him just off the podium in fourth place in a field of 1,200.
“It is a little frustrating, but the sport is getting faster and deeper all the time, and you can’t expect to podium every time you line up against a competitive field,” Knopp said by text. “I think you just need to reframe what a good performance is now. A top 5 is a good performance at a nationally competitive race, so I am happy with it!”
The JFK 50 was founded in 1963 as part of President John F. Kennedy’s initiative to improve the physical fitness for the military and general public. Doing well requires a vast skill set, as the course opens with 16 miles mostly on the technical Appalachian Trail, continues with 26.3 miles of flat, fast terrain on the C&O Canal “towpath” and concludes with 8.4 miles on rolling country roads. It’s the oldest continuously held ultramarathon in the United States.
David Sinclair of Vermont shattered the record in 5:08:27, prompting race director Mike Spinnler to tell the Herald-Mail newspaper “I can’t believe I just saw a human being do what he did.”
Knopp, who along with partner Klaire Rhodes of Anchorage is sponsored by The North Face, started with the lead pack but mostly ran alone in fifth place until passing Eli Hemming of Colorado with less than two miles to go. He won $600 for his efforts.
At JFK, Knopp now ranks ahead of legends of the sport that include Max King and Zach Miller.
“From a competitive standpoint, it’s cool to be able to compare yourself against so many years of racers that have done this course,” said Knopp, a 26-year-old forecaster with the National Weather Service.
Knopp navigates his way through a wooded area during the JFK 50. Photo by Mike McMonagle
Two Alaskans have landed on the JFK top 3 podium: Allan Spangler of Anchorage took third in 2018 in 6:00:47 while Julie Udchachon of Eagle River placed second in 2005 in 6:40:53.
Knopp, who grew up in Wasilla, has achieved some big wins in Alaska, including claiming the 2024 Equinox Marathon and setting a record at the 2021 Resurrection Pass 50-mile. But he considers his best performance to be sixth place at Arizona’s 2024 Black Canyon 100k (62 miles) in 7 hours, 48 minutes.
“I have chosen to put myself in a lot of the most competitive races out there this year because I truly want to race the best to see where I land,” Knopp said. “So while sixth doesn’t sound all that good, I beat a lot of people I didn’t think I could and ran a pretty fast time.”
Knopp continues to aspire for a qualifying spot at the Western States 100-mile, which requires a top-two finish at a “Golden Ticket” qualifying event like Black Canyon.
“It would be cool to qualify for WS100, but I do enjoy just showing up to the golden ticket races and being competitive in these stacked fields,” he said.
